1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a fish-processing machine comprising at least one processing tool, which is controlled with regard to its processing startpoint resp. moment of its engaging the fish and its processing course by means of a cam, the control path of which is composed of a driven main cam and at least one cam segment arranged directly adjacent and which can change its position relative to the main cam.
2. Description of Prior Art
When fish are being processed mechanically is must be considered that the goods to be processed inter alia are not only different with regard to their size but also have different anatomical proportions depending on their species. The fish of one species basically have the same proportions which makes it possible to undertake an individual setting of the tools by evaluating one of the measurements taken from the fish to be processed, e.g. thickness, length or height. This is achieved according to current practice by appropriate adjusting or setting means whose adjusting characteristic is predetermined constructively corresponding to the proportions of the fish to be processed.
In respect of this, as can be quite easily imagined, a corresponding universal adaptability of the processing tools to differing species of fish requires high expenditure. Therefore, due to economic considerations this is only practised on a reduced scale in a manner in which the tool control of such a processing machine is provided with adjustable programs which are adapted to the anatomy or predominantly related fish species and then make their processing in certain size ranges possible.
In a known device of such type (e.g. DE-PS No. 29 27 583) electronic controlling means are used which enable an adjustment by program selection. This device, however, is very expensive and therefore only economically employable in machines with sufficient processing capacity.
Therefore it has been tried to provide possibilities for adjusting single tools of a fish-processing machine which enable, within bounds, the processing of fish of different proportions in a single machine.
A machine for cleaning the belly cavity of fish is known (see DK-OS No. 4472/75) wherein each fish is led to a belly slitting and cleaning tool by orientation in relation to its nose, lying on its back and tail first, the course of movement of said tool being controlled by a cam or curve. This comprises a basic cam and one or several cam segments which can coaxially change their position in relation to the basic cam and are bolted to the basic cam in the desired position.
This enables an adjusting of the machine for one species of fish, which adjustment or setting can then be maintained independent of size in the processing range determined by the construction. The change to another species of fish in which, e.g. the length of the belly cavity in relation to the length of the fish is different, is performed during the standstill of the machine by adjusting the cam segment(s).